Seeing the wood for the trees: How archaeologists use hazelnuts to reconstruct ancient woodlands
If we could stand in a landscape that our Mesolithic ancestors called home, what would we see around us? Scientists have devised a method of analyzing preserved hazelnut shells to tell us whether the microhabitats around archaeological sites were hea.....»»
Taiwan cleans up after Typhoon Kong-rey leaves two dead
Workers cleared fallen trees and shop owners swept up debris in Taiwan on Friday after one of the biggest typhoons to hit the island in decades claimed at least two lives......»»
In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies—implications for global pest control
Take a stroll along one of the beaches on Hawaii Island in late summer, and you'll likely stumble upon almond-shaped fruits lying in the sand. Known as false kamani nuts, or tropical almonds, they fall from tall, shady Terminalia catappa trees that l.....»»
Charcoal stored in preserved guano gives helps reconstruct regional fire histories
With wildfires growing more frequent and more intense in many parts of the world, scientists are looking to the past to better understand where and when fires have burned. Lakes and wetlands, which capture airborne charcoal particles when they fall f.....»»
Ancient Mayan city discovered via page 16 of Google search results
Who ever goes beyond page one of Google search results? Well, Luke Auld-Thomas did, and it led to the discovery of a lost city......»»
We now know the secret to why Roman concrete lasts thousands of years
Ancient Rome was full of master builders and engineers. The fruits of their labors can still be seen in the aqueducts they built—which still function … The post We now know the secret to why Roman concrete lasts thousands of years appeared fi.....»»
A remarkable fossil assemblage gets a new interpretation
A team of paleontologists recently discovered that an ancient seascape known for its diverse assemblage of exceptionally preserved fossils represents an unexpected oceanic setting, placing the fossils in an environmental context that is dramatically.....»»
Tunic found in one of the Royal Tombs at Vergina identified as Alexander the Great"s
An international team of archaeologists, led by Antonis Bartsiokas with Democritus University of Thrace, in Greece, has uncovered evidence that a tunic found in one of the Royal Tombs at Vergina once belonged to Alexander the Great......»»
This ancient tadpole fossil is the oldest ever discovered
Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a giant tadpole that wriggled around over 160 million years ago......»»
Archaeologists suggest the "urban revolution" was slow in Bronze Age Arabia
Settlements in northern Arabia were in a transitional stage of urbanization during the third to second millennium BCE, according to a study published October 30, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Guillaume Charloux of the French National Ce.....»»
How life began on Earth: Model suggests ancient Earth had organic-rich atmosphere
The key to unlocking the secrets of distant planets starts right here on Earth. Researchers at Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, and Hokkaido University have developed a model that considers various atmospheric chemical reactions to estimat.....»»
How life began on Earth: Modeling the ancient atmosphere
The key to unlocking the secrets of distant planets starts right here on Earth. Researchers at Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, and Hokkaido University have developed a model that considers various atmospheric chemical reactions to estimat.....»»
A Lost Mayan City Has Been Found With Laser Mapping
Archaeologists have revealed an ancient lost Mayan city using advanced laser mapping technology, unearthing monumental structures such as pyramids and plazas. Named Valeriana, the city is believed to have been founded before 150 AD......»»
Volcanic "cryptic carbon" emissions may be a hidden driver of Earth"s past climate
An international team of geoscientists led by a volcanologist at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has discovered that, contrary to present scientific understanding, ancient volcanoes continued to spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from deep with.....»»
A new genetic web tool can help restore climate-resilient marine ecosystems
In the face of increased human pressures and climate change, a team of Australian scientists led by Dr. Georgina Wood at Flinders University has launched a new online tool to assist marine managers and restoration experts to bolster the resilience of.....»»
Underwater Temple from ‘Indiana Jones Civilization’ Discovered
An ancient temple made by Arabian immigrants from the Nabataean culture has finally been found off the Italian coast.....»»
Lidar mapping reveals mountainous medieval cities along the Silk Road
A city larger than many in Europe at the time was perched in the mountains. The history of the Silk Road, a vast network of ancient and medieval trade routes connecting Beijing an.....»»
Have we found all the major Maya cities? Not even close, new research suggests
Archaeologists have analyzed lidar data from a completely unstudied corner of the Maya world in Campeche, Mexico, revealing 6,674 undiscovered Maya structures, including pyramids like those at the famous sites of Chichén Itzá or Tikal......»»
Tracking a disappearing mantle plume in ancient Samoa: Researchers shed light on a 30-million-year gap
When plumes of magma well up through Earth's lithosphere, they create volcanoes, islands, seamounts, and other features on the surface. Telltale hot spot tracks form as tectonic plates move over these plumes, marking plume locations and the movement.....»»
Is it true that trees pollute the air?
Methane is the most famous volatile organic compound (VOC) in our atmosphere. This week, our host George Zaidan follows up on a Reactions subscriber's question about the 600 teragrams of a less famous VOC released every year: isoprene......»»
Dinosaurs thrived after ice, not fire, says a new study of ancient volcanism
201.6 million years ago, one of the Earth's five great mass extinctions took place, when three-quarters of all living species suddenly disappeared. The wipeout coincided with massive volcanic eruptions that split apart Pangaea, a giant continent then.....»»